I haven’t put in a plug for this yet, but I am managing an ongoing fundraiser for the Darby Free Library in Darby, PA. It’s the oldest continuously running library in the United States having been in operation since 1743. But it’s in danger of closing down.

I was inspired enough to raise funds, hence the beginning of the Crafters for Darby Library fundraiser, which sells literacy related crafts (such as beaded bookmarks), vintage craft, gardening, and cookbooks. To date I’ve raised $142. If you sell on Etsy, I am definitely interested in other literacy related crafters getting involved with the effort, so definitely convo me at crafts4darbylibrary for more info.

I also recieved this info from the library the other day:

“It’s great to learn that so many people want to help preserve our history and support the mission of the Darby Library Company to provide public library service. By your help and others we have raised close to $10,000.”

Very cool! If you can get involved in any way to help save this library, please do!

Early this morning, while out and about in town buying supplies for the bathroom and garden, I had one of those little experiences of sexism that arise in the life of a woman from time to time.

The city bus driver, though seemingly a nice man, is a Rush Limbaugh dittohead. And for whatever reason, he has decided to scrutinize and comment on my purchases when I am taking the route he is driving that day.

I had a garden planter among other items, and he asked, “You went into town just to get a bucket? You women and your shopping. No wonder nothing gets done at the house, no dinner, no lunch…”

Blech. How screwed up is it when someone talks to you in such an arrogant manner with some ridiculous preconcieved notion about what you ought to be doing, and what your priorities are supposed to be? Why should I have to stay home to please a bitter old man?

Unfortunately for Rush Limbaugh dittoheads of the male persuasion, my priorities right now and quite rich and full, and do not consist of being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.

My most recent relationship was with a man who insisted that we were both young, and that we ought to just enjoy ourselves. For him, that meant partying for the most part. I am not really a party person. Not in the sense that most people my age think of as parties. I quite like the idea of private entertaining for a few friends, having a nice meal and connecting and reconnecting with friends at a time when the bustle of life can make that difficult. It’s because of our diverging priorities that the relationship didn’t last. So I went back to being happily single and working the things that do command my time and concern.

Hmm, let’s see, what are my priorities, in no specific order?

I’m an artist, craftsperson, and business owner. That means I’m in the middle of preparing for a debut with an out of state boutique soon, and am hoping to arrange more consignment deals in other locales, while creating my works and filling orders placed directly with me. I’m also in the process of setting up a tent studio in my backyard.

I’m a college student, which means that I have been hustling for financial aid and preparing for an upcoming full load of courses covering many different areas, such as Spanish, and Shakespeare.

I’m someone’s adult daughter, which means that I am caregiving for my mother right now, and will probably be so for the foreseeable future as she is having health difficulties and has no one else to keep an eye on her and make sure she’s getting to a doctor except for moi.

I’m a member of an extended family, which means loving and supporting dozens of uncles, aunts, cousins, you name it. It means babysitting occasionally. It means going to Sunday dinners, to birthdays, to weddings, to funerals, or sometimes just cuz. It means caring for babies, and reassuring a sleepless child that she’ll be just fine.

I’m a pet parent of four little animals, including two dogs with special needs who also require attentive care and lots of TLC, having come from abusive situations prior to living with me.

I’m an activist, which means that I have been working hard on a library fundraiser for an endangered library, am hoping to resume volunteering at my local library, and am long overdue to resume updating my website for fellow rape and sexual abuse survivors, which has been helping survivors and their loved ones for over 9 years now.

I’m a friend, which means listening to long venting sessions and emphathizing, the need to get away and enjoy myself with others, and trying to crochet summer baby blankets for a pregnant friend.

I’m someone with responsibilies to the environment, which means gardening, making jewelry with recycled materials, and trying to figure out how to reduce my carbon footprint.

I’m a person with a physical body, which means getting up at 6 am to head to the community center to work out, studying the food pyramid, and yes, preparing meals that are good for me and for my loved ones who will be eating my food.

I’m an intellectual seeker, which means I have to have my nose in several books at one time, that I have to have debate and discussion with others, and that I have to have, gasp, a thought life!

I’m a spiritual seeker, which means learning about the earth and the spirit realm through a variety of ways, be it books, prayer, meditation, or just feeling the wind outside.

I managed to accomplish all of these things at different stages of my life despite having debilitating depression and post-traumatic stress disorder for many years, and you can bet I am doing all these things now and more, as I have reached a state of wellness.

And now the Rush Limbaugh dittoheads of the world want to tell me I get nothing done around my house?

Crooks and Liars and The Curvature report on the horrifying news story out of Algeria; a CIA station chief is accused of drugging and raping two Muslim women. My thoughts are with the women and what they must be going through.

From abyss2hope, the Supreme Court rules against a company who retailiated against a woman who reported sexual harrassment.

Here’s a great article explaining what went wrong with the world economy. h/t to Crooks and Liars commenters again.

Michelle has a great essay about how our learning styles affect our thinking as liberals and conservatives.

Womanist Musings has an open letter to Ted and Gayle Haggard in the wake of their interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Feministe writes about teenage sexuality not being as wild as people, especially nosy conservatives, assume it to be.

Racialicious has a fascinating look at transgender and African-American history through the pages of popular African-American magazines, such as Ebony.

Natalia Antonova responds to someone who hurled racist and sexist abuse in her direction after she posted about dealing with sexual harrassment in Jordan. The response is compassionate, and stands up for Middle Eastern/Arab men.

MOMocrats write about how Dr. Jill Biden will continue her job as a college English professor.

Time for my roundup of blog links for the first time in such a long while. Here we go!

Racist pig Chip Saltsman, who is in the running for RNC chairman, tells Contessa Brewer that it’s all the *media’s* fault that he sent out a mixtape of racist songs including “Barack the Magic Negro” to his Republican buddies and got caught in the process. Yes Chip, blame the media! H/T to Crooks and Liars.

Rachel at Rachel’s Tavern posted about the scary actions of racist mobs in Australia.

HuffPo has an article on the House of Representative passing the stimulus bill without the help of the House Republicans.

Natalia Antonova writes about how the dire economic situation in Kiev, Ukraine is leading to more alcohol abuse and then more sexual harrassment and out of control behaviors in general. She then makes a great point, when are people going to quit excusing violence and harrassment with the phrase “he was drunk?”

Brownfemipower has some powerful insight on how the myths surrounding the life of Sacagawea affect Indigenous women and women of color living today.

The blogger at kmareka.com speculates that the reason Wasilla and Palin charged rape victims for their own rape kits may have been an insidious attempt to discourage getting the kits done so that the women would not have access to emergency contraception.

MOMocrats compare the educational history of the major presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Latoya at Racialicious compares Sarah Palin and Condoleeza Rice in a respectful but critical manner. I enjoyed this post!

Reappropriate has a post about the Republican party’s sudden and hypocritical “embrace” of feminism.

Season of the Bitch critiques Saturday Night Live’s sketch with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin.

Speaking Out has an awful story about a comatose woman who was raped by her husband.

Today’s Linkage:

Marcella at abyss2hope writes about how the issue of rape is affecting an Oregon senate race.

Crooks and Liars reported on a vicious attack against the women who were part of the Alaska women’s rally against Sarah Palin. A conservative talk radio host called the women “maggots” and gave the women’s home addresses over the air.

Crooks and Liars writes about how GOP concern over Hurricane Gustav was a sham, and the treatment of Hurricane Ike by the Republican Party proves it.

Rachel writes about the lack of diversity amongst television political pundits. She also makes the intriguing observation that when we see African-American or Latino pundits, they tend to be conservative…

Feministe offers up some truthiness to combat the McCain campaign’s lies.

This morning I was interested (and saddened) to learn that evidently Nicolas Sarkozy is exerting too much influence on French media, and many French journalists have taken to blogging after being pushed out of other forms of media. There’s an old but good article on that, and I also found this interesting blog article on the Sarkozy government censoring an award-winning film which dealt with issues of poverty, abortion, and choice.

Feministe continues to do a good job of exposing the negative connections that Sarah Palin’s church has. This time they write about her church’s connections to Love Won Out and the ex-gay movement.

Christian Liberal has some hard questions for Evangelical Christians about support for George W. Bush and his agenda.

MOMocrats has an interesting post about what Republicans really mean when they throw the “elitism” meme around. I’m not sure I agree with everything said, but it’s still worth reading and thinking about!